Morta Skuld: Through The Eyes Of Death - The Early Demos

Begun in late 1989, Morta Skuld recorded their first two demos, Gory Departure and Prolong The Agony in 1990. Returning after their hiatus in 2000 with a new album in the works, Relapse Records have put them together under the title Through The Eyes Of Death and included two extra tracks that, along with the demos, may never have seen the light of day. The quality of these remasters is very good, the 'rough-around-the-edges' quality giving them a darker sound. Tracks 1 to 4 are from Gory Departure, and the remastering here has brought to the fore the poor drumming. No engineer, no matter how skilled, could disguise the fact that drummer Jesse Rofritz wasn't up to standard. Suffice it to say, when Jef Jaeger replaced him for Prolong The Agony, the band took a distinct turn for the better. Dave Gregor's vocals are a brave attempt at malevolence and reveal a self-consciousness and a level of confidence that improved quickly for subsequent releases. And though the lyrics broke no new ground, covering the themes that were in vogue at the time, it's the music that is most interesting here. Morta Skuld drew on the diverse characteristics of rock and metal, down-tuned guitars, blast beats (mainly on tracks 5 to 9 from Prolong The Agony), speed riffs, and the solos harken back to a time when guitar solos mattered. As an artefact, Through The Eyes Of Death is a record of a time when the internet was in its infancy and fans were buying music instead of anonymously bitching about it. As a piece of Morta Skuld's musical history, they capture a band taking shape and a sound forming out of primitive death metal that will provide an interesting insight into the development of the band when played alongside their soon-to-be released new album.

Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Sacrificial Rite
3. Gory Departure
4. Preacher of Lies
5. Senseless Killing
6. Through the Eyes of Death
7. Feast From Within
8. Prolong the Agony
9. ...Of Evil
10. Eternal Suffering (recorded for but never released by Earache in 1991)
11. Metal Church (Metal Church Cover)

Added: July 16th 2011
Reviewer: Jason Guest
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook
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Language: english

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